My years as both student and teacher in the university setting have given me the opportunity to use personal experiences in guiding students towards their own goals and expectations. These experiences helped engage students in creating a dialogue not just with the teachers, but also amongst their peers.

With over twelve years in the classroom setting as a graduate teaching assistant and adjunct instructor, I have had the benefit of witnessing how interdisciplinary studies can help change students' perspectives. The appreciation for empathizing with someone else's point of view is paramount to the relevant learning experiences of university students. This is achieved through open class discussion and participation ranging from lectures, informal discourse, and individual meetings.

In my previous university roles, I achieved my personal teaching philosophy's goals of mentoring and motivating students to participate, to actively engage in student questioning, and to utilize that freedom in developing their own ideas within the specific parameters set by each class section. I also developed curricula for composition, rhetoric, literature, and theory courses to be utilized at appropriate academic levels and throughout many disciplines.

I put student development of critical thinking as my main priority in the academic setting, specifically for students who are looking for guidance in academic success rather than being given a list of required courses. When students' voices are heard and respected, an inclusive environment for learning and exchanging ideas develops naturally